


Airport Flowers: Chlonath Week 2019

by seasonofthegeek



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Chlonath Week, Previous Relationship Angst, new relationship fluff, strangers to friends to more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-13 23:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19261183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasonofthegeek/pseuds/seasonofthegeek
Summary: After a disastrous wedding, Chloe attempts to escape on her honeymoon to salvage some bit of peace when she meets a stranger who wants to brighten her day.Written for Chlonath Week 2019.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this first chapter as a standalone drabble a month or so ago and decided to expand on it for this event. I hope you enjoy it! :)

“Stop looking at me,” Chloe huffed, crossing her arms. “Yes, you with the ridiculous red hair. Who else would I be talking to?”

Nathaniel blinked innocently but his scarlet cheeks gave him away. “I...I wasn’t looking at you.”

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him across the airport gate sectional they were sitting in. “Stop lying, pervert.”

“What?! I’m not a...” He snapped his mouth shut and looked around hastily. “You’re sitting near the walkway. The movement just keeps catching my attention.”

“Yeah, right.”

He frowned and looked down at the sketchbook in his lap. The picture of the pretty blonde across from him now felt forbidden. He flipped to a clean sheet and tried to look anywhere but her direction.

“What are you working on anyway?”

“Nothing.”

“Whatever.” She chewed her gum furiously for a second and then her shoulders slumped. “Sorry I’m being bitchy. I’ve been in this airport all damn day.”

Nathaniel didn’t quite trust the change in her personality so he only offered a mumbled condolence.

“I’m supposed to be on my honeymoon right now,” she continued. “It was going to be perfect.” Her lips thinned into a grim line. “You know, until I caught the groom with my maid of honor in the bathroom during the reception.”

He winced. “That really sucks.”

“You know, it really does,” she agreed. “It sucks very, very bad because now I’m stuck at this airport and I just want to go on my honeymoon and salvage some bit of relaxation before I have to deal with all the fallout at home and my plane can’t leave the stupid airport because my stupid flight keeps getting delayed because of a storm .”

“What’s your favorite flower?”

“Excuse me?” She shot him a suspicious look. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Just curious.”

She rolled her eyes. “I like gerbera daisies.”

He nodded and picked up his phone. She watched him curiously for a second or two but quickly grew bored. Another lame guy. How absolutely shocking. She was done with men. She was done with relationships all together. She was going to be a rich hermit in a penthouse with lots of servants who could wait on her every whim and had to love her because she paid them to.

The gate beside their waiting area began to board and Nathaniel carefully tore a page out of his sketchbook and packed up his things. He walked past her to get in line but paused by her seat. “I really hope you get to go on your trip soon,” he said, offering her the sheet of paper. “And I hope things start turning around for you.”

Chloe took the paper and saw a beautiful pencil sketch of a blooming gerbera daisy, shaded lines of sunlight pouring down on it. She glanced up to see the back of Nathaniel as he disappeared through the boarding gate. She felt herself smile for the first time since the reception drama and her smile widened when she saw the scribbled name and phone number at the bottom of the page.


	2. Friends

“You have to leave the hotel at some point, Chlo,” Alya looked through the large screen with a sympathetic expression.

“No, I don’t. I can have literally anything I want delivered. And Sabrina brings me anything else.” Chloe stretched back on her couch and looked towards the other woman who was unpacking a tote bag.

“Sabrina!” Alya chastised. “We talked about this! Tough love.”

The other woman flushed a bright pink. “I know! But she wanted some of those new yoga pants we all got and she’s so sad and--”

“I’m fine! Why won’t anyone believe me?” Chloe huffed and crossed her arms.

Kagami appeared on the screen beside Alya. “Because you won’t leave the security of your suite. You’re being a coward.”

“Screw you.”

Marinette eased between Kagami and Alya. “Come out with us tonight, Chloe. We’re going to dinner and a movie. It will be fun and chill, I promise. Sabrina’s even coming, aren’t you, Sabrina?”

“Yeah, I was hoping I could get Chloe to ride with me.” She gave the other woman a hopeful smile but Chloe slid further down on the couch. 

“I’m not going out. You saw their engagement announcement, didn’t you? He’s marrying her. Maybe he’ll screw her maid of honor at the reception too. Just keep the cycle going.” 

“Maybe you should’ve actually chosen one of your friends for your maid of honor instead of one of his,” Kagami muttered.

Chloe narrowed her eyes but she nodded. “I know. You’re right. I was a fool.” She held up the remote to the large screen. “I love you guys and thank you but I’m not ready to see the real world again just yet. Have fun tonight.” Before her friends could argue further, she ended the call with a sigh. “Just go with them, Riri, I’m fine.”

Sabrina wrung her hands together. “Are you sure?”

She turned to look back at her. “I promise. I’m going to order in some food. Maybe next weekend, I’ll try.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Sabrina reached around the couch to hug her and then she was gone.

Chloe sighed and picked up her phone. “Okay, Uber Eats, whatcha got for me tonight?”  
___

Nathaniel leaned against the elevator wall as the lift rose to the penthouse. When he tried to drop the food delivery off with the front desk, the receptionist informed him that she was no longer allowed to go up to the penthouse and he would have to deliver it himself. He hoped the occupant was at least a good tipper. This was eating into his time to pick up another delivery.

He stepped out into the foyer and went to the expensive lacquered door with an ornate golden bee door knocker. He studied it for a moment before using his knuckles to rap on the door. After a few more seconds, the door swung open and a woman in sweatpants and a messy bun crossed her arms. 

“The app said you arrived five minutes ago.”

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t realize I was going to have to come all the way up. Took a bit longer.” He offered the food and took a better look at her. “Wait, I think I know you.”

Chloe finally looked up at him and felt the blood drain from her face. Her mind instantly went to the pencil sketch of flowers she had taped up on her vanity. “Nathaniel, right?”

His eyes lit up with recognition and he smiled. “I met you at the airport a few weeks ago,” he nodded. “Did you ever get your flight?”

“Finally.”

“Did the trip help any?”

She grimaced. “I think it made me feel worse actually.”

“Ah, that sucks. Sorry about that.”

Chloe shrugged and half reached for the bag in his hand. “Can I have my dinner?”

“Oh!” He blushed and handed it to her. “Sorry, yeah. I threw some extra napkins and condiments and stuff in there so hopefully it’s everything you need.”

“Thanks.” She stepped back and put her hand on the door. He stood in the foyer as she closed the door on him. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected. He’d spent most of his flight thinking about her and some of his trip visiting his father and then she just became one of those random memories that slipped in now and then.

It was probably coincidence that they were meeting again now. He’d seen lots of people he knew doing this job. It was bound to happen.

Although he hadn’t realized they both lived in Paris. That was new information.

And he still didn’t have her name...

He quickly pulled up his app to look at the last order. 

Chloe. 

It was pretty. It suited her really. He smiled to himself as he rode the elevator back down.


	3. Hero

“Once you sign these papers, it’ll all be over legally,” Kagami instructed, sliding the first one in front of Chloe. She held out a pen but pulled it back before her friend could take it. “However, since your annulment isn’t finalized yet and he was an idiot and publicly announced his engagement to another woman, there are avenues we could explore to very painfully sue his ass.”

Chloe snatched the pen from her. “I just want this shameful chapter of my life over and done with.” She scribbled her name and then looked up at her friend. “But thank you for doing all this. I know you don’t even like me all that much.”

“Not even a little.” There was a slight tug of a smile at the corner of Kagami’s mouth. She shifted through some more papers and pulled out another one. “We just have a few more.”

“I know it probably doesn’t make a difference now, but I really am sorry I kinda ignored you guys when I started dating Archie. He told me I didn’t need anyone from my old life anymore and I believed him.” Chloe didn’t look away from the paper as she signed. “I was a bitch.”

“We’ve all been bitches from time to time,” the other woman shrugged. “No one’s mad at you. We just want to make sure you’re okay now.”

“You better be careful. I might actually think you like me if you keep talking like that.”

Kagami couldn’t stop her smile this time. “I’m strictly your lawyer, definitely not your friend.”

“Mmm, my hero.”

“But as your lawyer, I want you to know that if you ever need to talk about anything with someone else who isn’t exactly lucky in the love department, we can set up an appointment.” Kagami swiped the signed papers back into the stack. “Our friends mean well but it’s hard to listen to such lovesick fools sometimes.”

“Something we can agree on.” Chloe stood and stretched. “I think I’m going to order some dinner. Do you want to stay?”

Kagami actually looked disappointed. “I’m supposed to meet my mother for dinner. We’re going to be discussing the future of her enterprise.”

She raised an eyebrow. “As her lawyer or daughter?”

“She doesn’t see a difference.” Kagami swept everything back into her briefcase. “Maybe we could do dinner soon though?” She looked around the suite. “Out.”

Chloe forced a chuckle. “Yeah, yeah, it’s probably time. Just let me know.”  
___

If anyone asked Nathaniel why he started keeping his delivery radius around the hotel, he wasn’t sure what he would say but thankfully no one seemed to notice or care. He’d been able to pick up a few more orders for Chloe but after another woman answered her door and took the food the first time, he wasn’t sure he would get a chance to see her again. Ever since, he’d been drawing quick doodles on the top of her delivery boxes or on stray postcards he had scattered around his car that he could stick in the bag. Sometimes he would draw her gerbera daisies and sometimes he would draw bees.

Those were really the only things he knew about her which was...sad.

He was probably toeing an invisible line and really needed to take a step back. He wasn’t even sure what he found so captivating about her. While she hadn’t necessarily treated him badly, she’d never been even the slightest bit flirty. He took in a deep breath and looked down at his app to expand his pick up radius when an order came in.

From Chloe.

“Well, maybe just one more can’t hurt...” he mused.  
___

“You.” Chloe leaned against the door and stared at Nathaniel. “Are you the only one who works for Uber Eats now or what?”

He scratched the back of his neck nervously and willed the blush creeping up to stay down. “Oh, uh, well, no. I guess I’m just lucky and keep getting your orders.”

“Uh huh. Do you draw on everyone’s boxes?” She eyed the bag in his other hand and saw the petal of a black inked flower peeking through. “You know, I like more than flowers and bees.”

He couldn’t stop the blush now as it crept up to his ears. “Right. It’s probably creepy, huh?”

“Oh, definitely.” She opened the door wider and stepped back. “You can put the food on the counter.” She walked further into the suite and Nathaniel stood in the doorway hesitantly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

He took a careful step over the threshold and then looked around until he spotted the kitchenette off to the right. He set the bag down and went back to the door. “I guess I’ll be going then.”

Chloe turned on the TV and looked back at him. “You’ve got another delivery?”

“No, but as soon as I mark this one off, I’ll be open to take another one.”

“Do you have to?”

Nathaniel blinked. “Well, no. That’s the nice thing about this job. I can kinda choose when I want to work.”

“Well, I ordered way too much food and since you’re here anyway, you may as well stay so I can tell you what other stuff you can draw for me.”

“You want me to stay?”

She shrugged. “I feel like company tonight. You don’t have to if you’re not into it though.”

He quickly stepped back inside the penthouse and closed the door. “I’m into it.”

“Good. Now bring the food over to the coffee table. I’m not in the mood to be fancy tonight.”


	4. First Date

“Okay, fess up. Are you stalking me?” Chloe plucked a piece of garlic bread out of one of the boxes spread over her coffee table and dropped it on her plate.

Nathaniel choked on the bite of pasta he’d just taken. He felt the alfredo sauce roil around his stomach uncomfortably. “Of course not. That’d be super creepy.”

She tilted her head to study him. “I don’t know. I think you could give off a creepy vibe if you really tried. I think it’s the hair, maybe the chin. Ooo, the nose, actually.”

“I don’t know what to say to that.”

She shrugged and picked up the garlic bread and smeared it through some leftover marinara sauce before taking a bite. “Now, see, it’s the guys who can completely hide their creepy vibe that are actually the really bad ones. Like girls who hide their bitch vibe. Just be whoever the hell you are.” She stabbed the air with her bread and a few droplets of sauce fell to the table. She watched them disinterestedly before returning her bread to her plate. “Archie is like that.”

Nathaniel still wasn’t sure how to respond so he simply tried to keep up. “Archie?”

“The asshole who boinked my maid of honor.” She grabbed up the bread again and tore off a chunk. She chewed angrily. “Asshole,” she repeated as she reached for her glass of wine.

“Ah, that guy.”

“Yeah, you heard the story.” She waved her free hand carelessly. “Maybe it wasn’t even that he hid his creepy vibe. Maybe I just didn’t want to see it.”

“Love can make you stupid,” he nodded.

Chloe finished off her wine and reached for the bottle. “You’ve been in love before?”

Part of him was tempted to go into the whole story but he was two glasses of wine in and wasn’t sure his filter was working properly. He took a long pause before he answered. “Didn’t work out.”

“Does it ever?” She filled the glass to the top and sighed. “And another one bites the dust. Should I open a new bottle?”

“Not if I’m going to sober up enough to drive home,” he admitted.

“Do what you want. I’m going to drink more.” She stumbled to the kitchen and weaved an unsteady path back to the couch. “So your name is Nathaniel Kutzelpretzel and you do art and make deliveries.”

He nodded. “All true, except it’s Kurtzberg and not whatever pretzel thing you just said.”

“So, Red-- I’m going to call you Red, by the way. I like it better so deal with it. So, Red, what’s your big life plan?”

He blinked. He definitely wasn’t sober enough for that conversation. “I don’t know.”

She threw her hand forward. “And that’s perfectly fine! I don’t know either!” She let out a laugh and fell back against the couch. “But everyone wants me to know,” she added in a softer voice. “And I just don’t.”

“I know the feeling. I’ve been told I’m much too old to be a delivery boy.” He shrugged. “I make enough money to survive and use the rest of my time to do art that might actually become something someday.”

“People who make enough to survive don’t take flights,” Chloe pointed out. She hadn’t moved from the lounging position she’d fell back into on the couch and her eyelids were heavy. 

Nathaniel chuckled. “No, they don’t. My dad flew me out to meet my new baby sister.”

“Ah. Awkward?”

“A little. He married a woman three years younger than me who insists I call her ‘Mommy’ so I don’t go around much.”

“Gross.”

“Yeah.”

She yawned and settled a little more into the couch. “For what it’s worth, I like what you draw for me. I keep them all.” Her eyes closed and it was a few seconds before they opened back up in a half-glazed look. “Go downstairs and tell the front desk to call you a cab on me.” She pushed herself up and shuffled to the large bed at the far end of the room. “Goodnight, Red.” 

Nathaniel was startled by the new direction but he nodded and stood, feeling a little dizzy as he did. Chloe was already facedown on the bed by the time he looked back over so he did his best to gather the food and put what he could in her fridge and the rest in the trash before he whispered goodnight and let himself out.


	5. Nightmare

“You need to give me your phone number. I got three different delivery people before you showed up.” Chloe speared an eggroll with her fork and dropped it on her plate. “We’ll never be able to eat all this.”

Nathaniel set the order of pasta he’d brought on the coffee table and then turned off his delivery app so he wouldn’t get any more orders. “You were trying to get me?” he asked, feeling the all-too-familiar blush he got around her begin to creep up his neck.

“Obviously. We’ve eaten together the last few Fridays. I didn’t want to eat with some rando.”

“Good to know I’m a step above a rando.”

“Just barely,” she teased. She picked up her phone and tossed it to him. “Program your number in and I can just pay you for whatever food we want instead of using the app. Avoid the fees and all that.”

He wiped his palm on his jeans before he picked up her phone. He felt nervous. What was this supposed to mean? “So we’re friends,” he ventured, as he put in his number. He paused at the name, trying to decide between Nathaniel and Red.

“I know it’s weird.” Chloe frowned at her wine glass and instead went for a bottle of beer. “But you don’t really know me so you don’t seem to expect anything and while I love my friends dearly, they’re all just being...way too helpful lately. Your company is, I don’t know, relaxing for some reason.” She glared at him. “Is that okay, Red?”

Nathaniel couldn’t help smiling as he put his name as Red in her phone. “It’s great.”

“Good,” she sniffed. 

He filled the extra plate set out with chicken alfredo, two steamed pork buns, and a slice of pepperoni pizza. “”How was your week?” His stomach was finally growing accustomed to Chloe’s peculiar ordering habits.

“Eh, not the best, but not the worst. I started working again so that helped a little. As much as I hate to admit it, staying cooped up in here all the time probably wasn’t best for my mental state.”

“Not to mention the smell,” he grinned before taking a bite of the pizza.

“I’ll kick your ass out right now,” she warned. “But anyway, it was time. I lost a few clients but most of them are rich and shallow and on a ton of medication anyway so they didn’t even notice my extended absence.” She waved a hand. “It’s whatever.”

“And you’re a personal shopper?”

“A style consultant,” she corrected. “But yeah, I’m a personal shopper. People pay me to tell them what they look bad in and what they should buy instead, which of course I get a commission on, on top of what they already pay me. It’s really the perfect job.”

“I don’t know if I could do that.”

She studied her nails. “It’s not for the faint of heart. I could always do some pro bono work if you ever get over that artsy hipster vibe you’ve got going.”

“I like my clothes, thanks.”

“Sad.”

“Mmm.”

“What’d you do with your week?”

“I worked on my comic some so that was good. An old classmate came by to model for her character so it was nice to catch up.”

“This is the project where you turn people you know into superheroes and stuff, right?”

He felt very pleased that she remembered. “Yeah. I have an ongoing arc and my friends get to show up and guest star sometimes to help take down the villain.”

“And when am I going to get to be a superhero?”

The fading blush came back in full force and Nathaniel coughed and picked up his drink. “Who says you aren’t already?”

Her eyes lit up. “Did you draw me, you weirdo? You have to show me. That’s the rule. It’s creepy if you don’t.”

“You’re getting way too much glee from this,” he muttered. “Your design isn’t finished yet. I’ll show you when it’s done.”

“Well, if I’m going to be a character, I want it done properly. Tell me when I can come over and do the modeling thing like your friends.”

He winced. “I don’t think you want to come to my place. We can do it here though.”

Chloe crossed her arms. “Nope. I want the authentic experience, Kurtzelpretzel. Don’t make me fight you. You know I’ll win.”

“Maybe you’re more villain material.”

She picked up her half eaten egg roll and lobbed it at him. “Take that back!”

Nathaniel laughed as he batted the food back to the table in a spray of crumbs and lettuce. “Fine, fine, we can schedule a time that works for you. Good grief, you can be a bit of a nightmare. You know that, don’t you?”

Chloe considered that and then wiped her mouth primly before taking a messy bite of alfredo-coated noodles. “I’ve been called worse.”


	6. Muse

Nathaniel moved the stool for Chloe to sit on to the left and then to the right. He stood back and frowned at his model area and removed the stool all together. A loud knock at the door startled him and he cast one last anxious look around his studio before he went to open it.

Chloe pushed past him in a huff. “Could you live in a worse part of town?”

“The rent’s cheap,” he winced.

“It should be nonexistent. My driver was sure this building was condemned.”

“I did try to do this at your place.”

“Yeah, yeah, let me look around and decide if I’m staying.”

Nathaniel worried his bottom lip as he watched Chloe take her time studying the different art pieces he had laying about. Some were finished, some would never be finished, and some he had the best intentions about going back to. Overall, it wasn’t an overwhelmingly positive look, in his opinion.

She finally circled back around to the door and tilted her head. “Did you get me dinner?” 

He let out a sigh of relief. “I’m ordering delivery. I thought it’d be a nice change.”

She laughed and it was a pretty sound. “Okay, so how do we do this?”

“If you want to come stand up here...” He led her to the small platform he’d built under a lighting rig he’d constructed from watching YouTube videos. “You can do whatever kind of superhero pose you want and I’ll get a few pictures and then do a quick loose sketch to get the feel for it. Then you’ll be able to relax and we can talk about what you want to look like.”

“I’ve been practicing in the mirror to make sure I look my most badass,” she explained proudly.

“I have no doubt.”

Chloe fell into her pose and tried not to laugh as he took pictures. “You know, I used to think I could be a model but I’m not so sure now.”

“Aww, you’re doing great.”

“You’re just being sweet because I’m doing it for free.”

Nathaniel winked at her and set the camera down. “Are you okay to hold that for a few more minutes? I can work fast.”

“Yeah, I’m good.” She watched him pick up his sketchbook and start to draw. She found it hard to look right at him because every time their eyes met, she felt her stomach bubble with something close to happiness. She realized too late that this was the first time they were hanging out without alcohol throwing a protective shield over her heart and she swallowed hard. 

“Hey, we’re just friends, okay?”

Nathaniel looked up from his sketchbook with a surprised blink. “What?”

“I just want to make sure that you realize we’re just friends.” Chloe looked past him and hoped it gave the illusion of her looking at him. “We’re not dating or anything. I don’t like you like that.”

He frowned but went back to sketching. “I didn’t think we were dating. I’m happy to be your friend.”

“Okay, good.”

An awkward silence settled between them, broken only by the small scratching sounds of his pencil on the paper. Chloe’s muscles began to ache and she shifted uncomfortably. 

“I think I’m done.”

“That’s fine. I got the base anyway and the pictures will help with the rest.” He very pointedly didn’t meet her eyes. “Did you have any ideas on the costume?”

She crossed her arm. “Look, it’s nothing with you, okay? You know the crap I’m trying to get over right now so it’s just the thought of a relationship in general that is off putting.”

He nodded. “That’s fine. I understand, really.”

“Because if we’d met before and I hadn’t gone through all of that...well, you’re really nice.” Chloe felt her face warm but she couldn’t seem to shut the valve now that she’d opened it. “You’re thoughtful and you don’t let me push you around too much and you know when to just be quiet and chill. It’s...I just like spending time with you.” She seemed almost angry by the end of her speech and Nathaniel wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

“Um, thank you? I like spending time with you too.”

“Good,” she huffed, crossing her arms. “Also, you may as well give my hero a bee motif. I know you were going to do it anyway.”

“You snooped in my sketchbook,” he accused.

“I most certainly did.”

He laughed and shook his head. “I’m not even surprised.” And just like that, things were fine.


	7. Future

Six Months Later:

“Chloe told us about getting you hooked up with that publisher, man. That’s awesome.” Kim raised his glass to Nathaniel with a grin. “So they’re going to print your comic?”

Nathaniel took a sip of liquid courage and nodded. “That’s what the plan is for now. I’ve gotten them all the art and they have an editor going over the dialogue and stuff so now it’s a waiting game.” He quickly glanced around the room in an attempt to spot Chloe. He’d enjoyed getting to talk to their friends but he didn’t do well in large groups for very long and found it more comfortable by her side when he could manage it.

“Well, if you need any super buff and strong friends for inspiration, you know where to find me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Stop hogging my best friend on my birthday, Kim,” Chloe demanded, stepping between them. “He’s supposed to be paying attention to me.” She draped her arm over Nathaniel’s offered one and steered him away. “They’re bringing the cake out so you have to come stand with me.”

“It’s not my birthday, Chlo,” he laughed in relief even as he let her lead him where she wanted.

“But it’s mine and I get to do whatever I want today and I want you to stand with me for pictures.” She batted her eyelashes and he shook his head. 

“Fine, fine, lead the way, Queenie.”  
___

“Come on, Chloe, be honest. You guys are definitely dating,” Alya accused with a smirk. The guys were huddled around the large screen on the other side of the room where Adrien had hooked up a new gaming system Chloe got for the party. All the women were on the couch and sipping wine since most of the party guests had long since departed. “You spend every waking moment with each other.”

“Just because you fell in love with the first guy who showed you any interest doesn’t mean the rest of us are like that, Alya Cesaire,” she sniffed.

“Mmmhmm. And I know you get extra bitchy when you’re feeling defensive.”

“You guys seem really great together,” Marinette added. “Is the spark just not there?”

“Oh, it’s there,” Sabrina murmured. She ducked her head when Chloe glared in her direction.

“Maybe he’s just not that into her,” Kagami offered with a raised eyebrow.

Chloe clenched her jaw. “Just because you guys don’t understand our relationship doesn’t make it any less valid.” She looked over to see Nathaniel glance back at her from his place at the back of the group of guys. They shared a smile before she returned her attention to her friends and felt a little of the fire leak out of her from their knowing looks.

“I do love him,” she said quietly, “and I know he loves me but if we ever made this anything more, it could all get ruined and I just don’t think I could survive that again.” Her eyes strayed to Nathaniel once more. “Not with him.”

“Nath is nothing like that asswipe you were with before,” Kagami spat. “I still have fantasies of running him over after those meetings.”

“I know that. I do, but it still scares me. We’re both happy like this so I would really appreciate it if you guys would leave it be.”

The other women shared a look and Marinette nodded. “We just want you happy. If this is what works for you, we support it.”


	8. AU

One Year Later:

“Wow,” Marinette whispered. She flipped back to the beginning of the latest issue of Nathaniel’s comic book and started looking at the pictures again. “This is...wow.”

Chloe worried her bottom lip. “It doesn’t mean anything though, right? It’s just a comic. I mean, it’s just the characters, it’s not really us.”

“As someone who keeps up with Alternate Universe, there have been...signs this was coming,” Alya said, keeping her voice even. “Did it really surprise you?”

“I don’t know.” Chloe reached for the comic and slid it away from Marinette so she could look over it again. She ended her flip through on the last page with Nathaniel’s alter ego down on one knee as he vowed his eternal love for his partner and told her his life was infinitely better with her in it. “I mean, I know that Mighty Illustrator and Queen Bee are kind of fan favorites as a couple but I didn’t know he was going to actually make a storyline like this with them.”

“This might be the most romantic thing I’ve ever read,” Marinette admitted. “And I married Mr. Romance.”

“I’m telling Adrien.”

“Please don’t. He won’t like to know he has competition for his title,” she laughed. “Seriously though, Chlo, this is beautiful.”

“But if he didn’t say anything about it, I think that means the ball’s in your court,” Alya added. “You can either acknowledge it and have a serious talk about your friendship or relationship or whatever you want to call it.”

“Or?” Chloe prodded.

“Or you can not bring it up and he may never say anything about it and things will stay the way they are.”

“And you’ve got some time to think about it,” Marinette said. “Nath isn’t getting back from the convention until Tuesday, right?”

“Right,” she answered distractedly. She stared down at the artwork and something caught her attention she’d missed every other time she’d looked at it. On the ledge behind the main characters sat a potted gerbera daisy, a few rays of sunshine touching down on it. To anyone else, it would’ve seemed like an inconsequential background filler but Chloe knew exactly what it represented.

Once her friends left, she pulled out every piece of artwork Nathaniel had ever done for her and spread them out on the floor. She started with the picture of the gerbera daisy with his name and number hastily scribbled on it from their first meeting at the airport after her disastrous wedding. She moved on to the various box tops and receipt backs that he’d doodled on when he was still just her delivery guy. Then there were canvases and loose sketchbook pages and Post-it Notes covered in art of flowers and bees and her. She set the open comic issue in the middle of all of it to the spread of Nathaniel essentially proposing to her and her breath caught in her throat.

She knew what she wanted, what she needed.  
___

Chloe shifted the large bouquet of daisies as she checked her phone again for the time. She’d arrived at the airport way too early due to nerves but now that Nathaniel’s plane had officially landed, time seemed to have stopped all together. Everytime the doors opened to reveal new passengers entering the baggage claim area, her heart rate went up a few notches. After three false alarms, she finally spotted familiar orangish red hair done up in a messy bun.

Nathaniel looked tired as he stepped onto the escalator to come down into the lower area. Chloe watched him take out his phone and then hers was ringing in her hand. 

“Hi,” she answered breathlessly. She saw him smile when he heard her voice.

“Hey, Queenie. Just wanted to let you know I made it back. I’m about to pick up my bag and then I’m going to head home. I don’t think I slept at all this past week. I might not be cut out for the convention circuit.”

“Do you want to come to my place?” He was getting closer now and Chloe took a few steps back so she could stay hidden in the crowd. “I can have us some food delivered in.”

He made a little breathy sound that landed somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle. “That would be great. I’ve really missed you. I don’t know how much fun I’ll be though.”

“I just want to see you.” Chloe took in a shaky breath when she saw the fond expression wash over his face.

“I want to see you too,” he answered quietly. “I’ll get my bag and be there as soon as I can.”

“Want a ride?”

“I was just going to call an Uber.”

Chloe couldn’t stop her big smile as she finally closed the distance between them and tapped his shoulder. He turned around in surprise. “I’m really close,” she said into the phone.

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprising you, dum-dum.” She held out the semi-smashed flowers shyly. “Well, these did look a lot better before that hug.”

“They’re for me?”

“Or any other redhead artist who wants them,” she shrugged.

He laughed and pulled his messenger bag to the front and unzipped it. “Great minds because...” He produced his sketchbook and opened it to a page filled with daisies. “I kinda got you the same thing. But don’t worry, there are real gifts in here too.”

“I love you.”

Nathaniel blinked and looked at her. “I love you too.”

Chloe shook her head. “No, I mean...I mean that I’m in love with you. I have been for a long time but I was scared.”

“Chloe...”

“And I saw the comic,” she continued. “And I saw the daisy in the background and you’ve always let me call the shots with us and I just need you to know that I love you so much and you’re the only one I want too.”

He dropped his sketchbook and bag and pulled her to him again, cupping her face as they kissed. Chloe let the flowers fall to the floor beside his things and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him as close as she could. They stayed that way for a while before they both reluctantly pulled away with embarrassed smiles. 

“I think I need to grab my luggage,” Nathaniel chuckled even as he ran his thumb along her cheek. 

Chloe looked down at the fallen sketchbook and bouquet. “I’ll wait here with our airport flowers,” she laughed. 

He leaned in and took another quick kiss. “Maybe that can be the name of our next comic.”

She felt happy and giddy and like she was floating on air as she let him pull her in again. “Sounds perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! This was a fun little story to be able to do for the event and I really appreciate all the kind comments. <3


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